Upgrading the Guard Rails on Carrera GO!!!/D143 Race Tracks

By Michael Ashton

Carrera GO!!! and Digital 143 race sets come with enough simple guard rails to cover each curve track section included in the set. These stock guard rails consist of a series of posts or supports that clip to the edge of the track section and a plastic strip that is threaded through the posts to create the barrier.

They are relatively easy to install and usually keep the cars from flying off the turns, without creating a significant advantage for the outside lane. However, they suffer from one major flaw. Whenever a car makes contact with the barrier strip, the strip is pushed out of position as shown in the following photo. So the intended protection is temporarily lost until the strip can be readjusted to its original position. This tends to be a distraction that can interfere with the normal flow and pace of a race because, in addition to placing the car back in the slot, the barrier strip must be dealt with.

One solution to the problem could be to glue the barrier strip to the posts so that it can't move. But for those who set up and break down a track frequently this might reduce flexibility and diminish the portable nature of the track system. Not to mention the slick, flexible plastic used for the barrier strip might not react as expected to being glued.

A Functional Alternative

Fortunately, a relatively inexpensive replacement for the standard guardrails exists, and it is designed specifically for the 1/43rd scale track by Carrera. A package of Carrera GO!!!/D143 Guard Rail Fences is shown below. Each section of fence covers a 1/90° curve track section and there are ten fence sections in the package (five red and five gray).

Installing the guard rail fence sections is even quicker and simpler than the standard guard rails. The procedure is shown in the following photos:

Slip the lower part of each clip under the outer lip of the curved track section.

Then tilt the fence section upward, toward the opposite side of the track until the upper part of the clip snaps into place.

The properly installed fence sections should appear as shown in the following photo.

Simpler and Better, I Think…

After installing the Carrera GO!!!/D143 Guardrail Fences and running the cars for a while, I found them to be definitely superior to the stock guard rails. I believe that there are at least four advantages provided by the guardrail fences:

1. Because they are a single piece, they are easier and quicker to install and break down.
2. They are more secure and, therefore, require no readjustment after contact with the cars.
3. Because they are higher, they provide better protection against cars flying off the track in the turns.
4. IMO, their appearance is more realistic — but that is just a preference.

So, if you feel that the stock Carrera 1/43rd scale guard rails are less than optimal for your racing needs, I recommend that you install the Carrera GO!!!/D143 Guardrail Fences. I'm confident that you will find them to be a worthwhile improvement to your Carrera 1/43rd scale race track.

_Michael Ashton