The transcontinental railroad revolutionized travel and commerce in America, transforming Omaha, Nebraska, from a shantytown into a key hub for westward expansion.To understand Omaha's role in the railroad's history, one must look back to the Civil War era."It was as neutral as possible," said Tom Neal of the Douglas County Historical Society. "It wasn't too far south. It wasn't too far north."The Pacific Railway Act was signed into law by Abraham Lincoln in 1862.