IR 's life @-@ saving mission inspired the founding of the volunteer International Rescue Corps , originally made up of a group of British firemen who contributed to the humanitarian effort following the 1980 Irpinia earthquake . Virgin Group have used the series in branding its services : Virgin Atlantic operate a Boeing 747 @-@ 400 airliner named Lady Penelope , while Virgin Trains own a fleet of locomotives that are all named after main characters and vehicles and used specifically to " rescue " broken @-@ down trains .