Shifter won't engage automatic transmission - Snap! Help

[keptonepart]

I have a '68 F100 all original, automatic transmission, power steering. Something snapped in the shifting mechanism because I can't engage the transmission. The shifter inside the truck moves freely. I can get under the hood and shift the control that leads down to the transmission. I ran my hand inside the truck down to the bottom of the steering shaft and it seems to be moving at this point. I am assuming that something snapped at the firewall. Any thoughts on how to test further and what this may be? One note- ever since I bought this truck I have had to shift it out of Park somewhere near neutral to start the truck. I am not sure if this is related or not or whether I also have to replace a neutral safety switch. Any help would be appreciated.

[fordman]

the shift position out of park is unrelated. get under the truck and have some one shift the lever and see what moves. if nothing moves then it is the ords or somethin in the column. if it moves the trans lever then it is inside the transmission.

[keptonepart]

Thanks for the info regarding the unrelated matter. I thought that had to do with the neutral safety switch.
I had someone move the shifter and something moves inside the truck at the base of the column. Moving outside and into the engine compartment there is no movement from the firewall out to the transmission. Thus, it is not in the transmission. I can manually move the shifter inside the engine compartment and shift the transmission in all of the gear ranges. So it seems there is a disconnect from the base of the column to somewhere in the firewall area. Any ideas of what part has "snapped?"
Thanks for the help.

[MadMaxetc]

The welds that hold the key onto the shift tube could have broke.