A drive train (22) for a rescue hoist includes a mounting portion (30) for mounting the drive train within the rescue hoist. A load pin (34) extends through the mounting portion and into a static structure of the rescue hoist to secure the drive train to the rescue hoist. The load pin is configured to sense the strain generated when the drive train imparts torque to the cable drum (24) to rotate the cable drum. The sensed strain is communicated to a computer (36) configured to calculate a torque generated by the drive train based on the sensed strain and further configured to calculate the load on the cable based on the sensed strain.