OMG say it isn't true. yes it is JL Cowen's first train was actually a display in a store front. it was actually made to run on 2(two) not 3(three) rail track. it was 1906 before he made his first 3 rail track.
for you naysayers you can Bing first lionel train made then go to the posting that states :LIONEL TRAIN HISTORY_INVENTION OF LIONEL TRAINS you might learn something!
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and how many rails??? battery first then 110 Volt transformer, still as a 2 rail display.
but again it was a electric powered train running on 2 rails and what difference what type of electric power it had????
Look out guys, we've been "Outed"! 
It is my contention that had the original 3-rail sectional track been outside third rail (OTR), O gauge would be entirely different because the toy end (entry level) and the modeling end (scale) would have evolved along the same path. The early permanent O scale layouts were OTR with broader curves and scale equipment (gee, kinda like 3RS). Personally, I think the next step in our evolution is going to be batteries and something like the AirWire receiver that sends DCC square wave to the engine decoder.
It seems like Lionel kept dabbling in two rail over the years. I was just looking at those "Smithsonian, museum quality" Lionel releases.
I didn't pay the price because I was worried about the sound and running quality back then. (... and I didn't have the cash!)
Seems like there were more releases than I thought. A Dreyfuss Hudson, a PRR K4, and maybe more???
and how many rails??? battery first then 110 Volt transformer, still as a 2 rail display.
but again it was a electric powered train running on 2 rails and what difference what type of electric power it had????
I'm sorry if I hit a nerve with you Camaro...but I was always more of a 70 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 guy anyway...seems you are a bit hypersensitive about the whole 2 rail 3 rail thing. Riddle me this...if 2 rail was so great in 1900-1905...why did Cohen switch to 3 rail track in 1906? Answer.... You gotta know it...Joshua knew it....yes it had to do with current, reverse loops, motor technology, and wiring simplicity and shorts...
(It's electric
Boogie woogie, woogie!)
Now you can't hold it
(It's electric
Boogie woogie, woogie!)
But you know it there,
Yeah here there everywhere
I've got to move,
I'm going on a party ride on my EP5 
Actually, the reason why Mr. Cowen went 3 rail was because electricity at that time was a very new and somewhat mysterious technology. He wanted it to be as simple as possible for people to wire up the trains. Model trains at this point were not scale models and were Larger than O gauge. They took up a lot of room and only people with money for such things could afford them.
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