The open wagon is one of the most ubiquitous types of wagon to ever see service in the UK. Regardless of their size, the wagons could be seen almost anywhere from individual wagons being moved by small tank engines to large rakes of them being hauled behind some of the largest tender engines of the day.
The wagons were largely unspecified, they would carry any cargo that didn't require any protection from the elements. As time progressed and rolling stock developed, the general use wagon would see its use become more limited, wagons designed specifically around their cargo would begin to supersede the standard open wagon through the 1940s and 1950s.