branch creation - merge not working?

 Using SilkSVN as my DOS client (actually using TortoiseSVN, but
for mailing lists 'command line copy and paste' is easier than 'image
linking'), I'm having problems with branch creation(merge) when evaluating Subversion for our workflow.

The typical workflow is (in Subversion verbage):

Release planning:
Software Lead creates an integration branch, merging from the trunk

Development:
Software Engineer creates a work branch, merging from integration branch
Software Engineer performs work in work branch
Software Engineer re-integrates work branch back into the integration branch
(repeat x times for y engineers)

Release delivery:
Software Lead locks down integration branch (permissions become read only)
Software Lead re-integrates integration branch back into trunk
Release Engineer tags trunk

A project layout is typically like this:

TestProject/
__trunk/
__tags/
____release1/
__branches/
____integration/
______release1/
______release2/
______majorFeature1/
____softwareTeamMember1/
______branchName1/
______branchName2/
____softwareTeamMember2/
______branchName1/

I'm having a problem with this step of the process:
Software Engineer creates a work branch, merging from integration branch

I was able to merge trunk into integration/release2/, and the expected files are created. However, when I merge integration/release2/ into softwareTeamMember1/branchName1/, none of the expected files are created. However, when I merge trunk into softwareTeamMember1/branchName1/, the expected files are created. Why?? And how do I get the workflow that we are used to operating under with Subversion?

C:\TestProject\branches\integration\release2>svn list
.project
flash-image.txt
installation-doc.txt
sim-exe.txt
user-guide-doc.txt

C:\TestProject\branches\software1\issue34>svn list

C:\TestProject\branches\software1\issue34>svn merge https://localhost/svn/TestProject/branches/integration/release2@HEAD .

C:\TestProject\branches\software1\issue34>dir
 Volume in drive C has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is B0F5-5D37

 Directory of C:\TestProject\branches\software1\issue34

12/17/2010 09:22 AM <DIR> .
12/17/2010 09:22 AM <DIR> ..
               0 File(s) 0 bytes
               2 Dir(s) 218,571,730,944 bytes free

C:\TestProject\branches\software1\issue34>svn propget svn:mergeinfo .
/branches/integration/release2:46

C:\TestProject\branches\software1\issue34>svn merge https://localhost/svn/TestProject/trunk@HEAD .
--- Merging r2 through r45 into '.':
A installation-doc.txt
A .project
A sim-exe.txt
A user-guide-doc.txt
A flash-image.txt
 U .

C:\TestProject\branches\software1\issue34>svn propget svn:mergeinfo .
/branches/integration/release1:7-35
/branches/integration/release2:46
/branches/software1/issue12:23-31
/trunk:2-46

                                               
Received on 2010-12-17 18:07:15 CET