The original 3-rail is/was handy for running all-metal toy trains with its less complicated insulation demands. The US 3-rail hobby took a real jump I'd guess with the rise of the MTH - Lionel rivalry, and 2-rail scale O needs all that space. I think a lot of people liked the ability to run O gauge on tighter curves with 3-rail, as I do.
The British O Scale Guild had standards for a 3-rail stud contact system that was popular for outdoor layouts and what they called "coarse scale". They used a skate ( as seen below) similar to the Marklin set-up.
If you zoom in on the lower photo, you can just see the studs between the rails.
Photos: https://www.gaugeoguild.com