It's the other way around. The two switch arrangement requires a gentler woods track curve and takes more room. The 3- way stub crams the converging tracks into one place and takes less room. That's why 3- ways were used.
We weren't looking to build another 3-way; one's enough. They take an extra frog and a special throwing arrangement and stand. We only chose it because a conventional ladder track to feed the car barn was simply not going to fit (with reasonable curves).
We recently reevaluated and determined that we have enough width of the ladder track carries a coninuous curve- laying the two switches along the curve and letting the divergent track carry whatever curve it does. They end up being neither left, right, or evenly split angle switches but rather something in between. Reality is, in fact, it doesn't matter for switch layout- there's a datum track (woods track on a curve), and a diverging track (diverging to the left for the car barn).
The curving ladder isn't ideal- but it's better than a 3-way. This isn't high traffic- and its in keeping with Maine narrow gauge practice. Amongst other examples, take a look at the 3 way in Phillips yard on the original Sandy River RR; all 3 tracks curve through the switch.
See ya
Jason
