This cutter stripper has been an essential tool in the wiring of my briefcase Z scale layout. The stripper handles all the small gauge wire typical to most all model trains, but it does the stripping without jerking the other end of the wire loose! With just a little practice you can be a stripping master. For many wire connections it is prudent to strip the wires and twist them together for testing before more permanent attachment. With LEDs and many of the new circuit boards one has to get the polarity correct. Even separate power zones on the mainline need to have the polarity compatible, if you are still running analog DC locomotives. If a DC electric motor is driving the paddle wheel on your mill, you want to be sure it turns the proper way. And remote turnouts need to have the direction of travel confirmed before being set in stone. I use a lot of the gel filled 3M type connectors that don't require stripping the insulation for the permanent connections; but when I have multiple wires coming together, I still prefer the red crimp terminals. Again the stripper is good at its job without ripping out the rest of your finished circuits. In fact there are times when you can't a simple stripper because you can't get a grip on the wire even with needle nose pliers, much less your large fingers. Even if you are just illuminating buildings and street lamps, these do the job best and for the money are worth it! Hope I included some ideas to further animate your layout. This makes model trains even more fun.