Dolly Party

Let's talk about something dear to all of us- carrying that 400 odd lbs of twisted steel up stairs.
You're finished with the exteriors. It's a move inside to the third floor with no elevator. There are only acouple of shots so you hopefully (wincing all the time ) go up to your buddy, your pal the DP and ask, "Do we need the dolly up there?" "Yeah, we might want to do a move." is not the answer you were hoping for. Or even worse, "Oh yes, and the jib arm." So now you have to take the big one.
You get on the horn, cinch up your pants and announce, "There's a party and you're all invited!" Then come the groans.
No matter how you try to do it, it hurts. It's dangerous, and you're sure it's shortening your life and possibly making you sterile.
I personally, on extra narrow staircases am a big fan, when carrying the Peewee, of getting on the lower end alone and taking the weight in my chest. It's easier, you're not fighting another guy past the bannister, and it saves your arms (though it is counterintuitive). I had another grip complain one time that I was making it easier on myself (?) and harder on the guys on the other end. How? They still pick up the same amount of weight to the same height, only now we don't have two grips fighting each other on the lower end. Just one easily carrying the weight in his chest while another backs him up.
My Key Grip recently went out and bought a stair climbing dolly; the type they use to load vending machines up stairs. It's basically a heavily reinforced hand truck with a rechargeable battery and a rotating blade which climbs up stairs. We welded a scrap piece of track on it, with a lengthened ramp piece, and the Dolly-Dolly was born. Roll it on, strap it down, and away you go. Though it is a little slower, it's an effortless way for two guys (one controlling the climb and the other steadying) to climb impossible staircases with the dolly (either size). Unfortunately, truck space is limited so it's a special order item. We used it on a pilot in Savannah (the city of staircases) and it saved us many times.