Noun
staff system (plural staff systems)
(rail transport, historical) A block system in use on single-line railways, in which the stationmaster gives the driver a staff authorizing the driver to proceed over a given portion of track.
Lessons drawn from the war included the need for a general staff system, the scale and duration of future wars and the tactical use of artillery and cavalry. Source: Internet
It absorbed most of the functions of the National Emergency Council. citation Initially, the new staff system appeared more ambitious on paper than in practice; the increase in the size of the staff was quite modest at the start. Source: Internet