Is this an 18 speed?

It is a 13 speed with overdrive

 

Tomcat I tried to explain it. I drive one everyday. 3 of my old trucks have them and all the old trucks my buddies have do too. Once you use one you see they are easier. They did away with them when ergonomics became a craze in the 80’s. And they don’t have a lock out feature like the new ones do.
The low position is low side of box
Dir position is the range selector ( what you are calling the duck bill)
Od position is the splitter button for the dir/high side of box
Total 13 speeds operated with
One thumb button instead of two

 

Do a search on YouTube you can see exactly how it works

 

Yes. Someone even posted the original animated Road Ranger traning video that every dealership had to show customers how to shift these new fangled single stick things when they first came out around ‘67 or so. Cool video.

 

Very educational...S/P. I read and re'read...and with this quantifier... I get it~! I actually believe, I do. Something I've never seen, nor experienced. Thanks for sharing; I'm old, but never too old to learn, haha! I've got TEN years on Scottie, haha!

Thanks, again.

 

Drove a similar truck that had that tranny set up once for a farmer... Its a 13 speed... Only switch is the thumb switch right? Very old school design.

5 gears in LO, 4 gears in HI, 4 more gears in OD.

 

Awh hell, crap. Yessir. I do recall the same from the ole' farming days.. Whirlwind of yes.

 

Me too. But apparently with no

Me too.
But apparently with no offense to anyone and all in fun even these simple old knobs are like flying a space ship nowadays when even some old timers don’t remember them. Lol!
What’s really mind blowing is when some of us still have a 4 speed auxiliary behind a 9 or 13 and still use these knobs. Up to 52 forward and 10 reverse gear choices can make you look like a rookie real quick when you can’t remember what hole your sticks are in.
We obviously don’t have to do it. We just do it for fun.