Technical 53 Chevy 3 speed help positioning

Hi I have 53 Chevy 3 speed. Rebuilt ****** and I made sure everything was right location but it keeps getting stuck. What position is neutral? And first gear?
Looking at transmission side lever

 

Neutral is the center position of each lever.
you can turn the input and locate 1st
Reverse and 1st should be the same lever.
2nd and third should be the other

 

Car, or truck?

When you say getting stuck, do you mean on the bench? In the car/truck?

 

Front arm is 2nd and 3rd. Rear arm is 1st and reverse.

 

Try this........
If you're attempting to engage 1st or reverse..... or going from 1st to reverse, have the 2nd - 3rd arm in the middle.
Same thing attempting to engage 2nd or 3rd, have the 1st - R arm in the middle.
I'm no expert but it makes sense in my head. Seems like both arms can't be engaged at the same time. ??

 

If everything is re***embled properly this ^^^^^ is true. Can't recall what the mechanism might be but either a detent ball or perhaps a rocker-arm of some sort locks out both levers from being shifted out of neutral at the same time. ie: if the transmission is put into 1st gear the 2nd/3rd lever can't be taken out of neutral.

Lynn