5-plank wagons were referred to as 'high goods wagons' and 'Highfits' or 'High NF'. Anything larger was probably specifically for the coal and mineral trade.

At one time, 5-plank wagons were numerous in Britain and often had their load sheeted over. Used for the transportation of general merchandise, the British weather and the labour cost of sheeting loads made them impractical and they were gradually replaced by vans. However, it seems that many were privately owned and these were probably replaced by the railway company's own vans as privately owned vans were not common.

At nationalisation of the railways, all four railway companies still had orders placed for high goods wagons and these continued to arrive until the middle of 1949. Despite their decline in use, some were still needed and British Railways continued to produce 5-plank wagons until 1957. These were based on an LMS design with pressed steel ends and, in the 1960s, some were allocated to china clay traffic and the transportation of shingle.