ORGANISERS are still hoping York's Big Wheel will be up and running by early next month - despite delays in bringing it to the city.

The Yorkshire Wheel will give tourists and residents a bird's eye view of York from its site in the grounds of the National Railway Museum.

The museum wants the London Eye-style wheel to be up-and-running before the important Easter holidays, and has scheduled April 7 for the launch date.

The component parts, manufactured in sections in Germany, were originally expected to arrive in York last week.

A museum spokeswoman said it was now hoped they would arrive this week, in 27 40ft containers.

It would then take about ten days to assemble the structure on site.

She said the components would be brought to York on a lorry, and then transferred on to the back of a low-loader in order to get under the Leeman Road railway bridge.

"This will not be taking place during rush hour, but will happen out of these hours during the day."

She said the area where the wheel was to be situated had been "pressure tested".

It would be built at low level and then put up using a crane.

"Each section (including the pods) will then be built one section at a time."

The arrival of the wheel, which is likely to gain regional media coverage, has been hailed by tourist chiefs as a major boost to the city as a visitor destination.

It is expected to bring many thousands of extra tourists to York for the coming season, including people arriving by train at the nearby railway station. Many would be expected to go on to enjoy the city's other tourist attractions after going on the wheel.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, said: "It's an exciting new attraction for York."

She said there was a full page ad for the wheel in the new York mini-guide, a million copies of which were currently being printed and which would go out to hotels, guest houses and tourist information centres.

The big wheel saga has gone on in York for a year. It was originally proposed last year for Tower Gardens near Skeldergate Bridge, but the plans were abandoned after protests from local residents and conservationists.

The museum site proposals received planning permission from City of York Council earlier this year.

Updated: 10:42 Thursday, March 23, 2006