My only 3-rail train was a hand-me-down Marx steam engine NYC litho set. Had so much fun with that little Marx set. I don't know how often, or how long it would be set up and ran, but it survived my years until I "graduated" to HO scale on Christmas Eve, 1962. My little Marx set was handed-off to my younger cousin and he continued to play with it. In retrospect, I sure wish I'd kept it.
Andre