Until 1968, fully fitted freight trains were required by law to carry a brake van at the end. The brake van provided brake functionality to help slow the train and acted as a space where the train guard could carry out additional duties such as paperwork. As a result, most brake vans featured a stove and desk on top of the brake apparatus. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) built 2653 20-ton brake vans between 1933 and 1947. These featured a wooden structure that spanned most of the frame, with open covered areas at either end to provide the guard with an excellent view of the train. Post nationalisation, many of these wagons became BR Brake Vans.